Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla 2006. Joaquín Grilo, 'A solas'. Review, photos and online video

‘A solas’. Old Artist: Joaquín Grilo (baile). Love: Esther Jurado (baile). Specter: José Valencia (cante). Soul of Love: Carmen Grilo (cante). Guitar: Daniel Méndez, Juan Requena. Contrabass: Pablo Martín. Violin: Alexis Lefevre. Percussion: Antonio Montiel. Clapping: Joaquín Flores, Carlos Grilo. Piano: Fidel Cordero. Artistic and choreography director: Joaquín Grilo. Script: Teófilo Calle. Stage director: Sebastián Haro. Seville’s 14th Bienal de Flamenco 2006. Teatro Central. Seville, October 3rd, 2006. 9 p.m.

A few months after its premiere at Festival de Jerez, Joaquín Grilo brings back to life his latest creation, the show ‘A solas’. Since that first time, the show has been sifted through self-editing, resulting perhaps more compressed, more polished. And that work has had repercussions, especially in the dynamics of the show. Like then, the plot – inspired in the novel ‘El guardián de la luz’ (‘The Guardian of the Light’) – is summarized in motifs, in evocations of feelings which cross paths at the end of life when you take a look back. It’s never easy to endow flamenco dancing with drama, so the show makes use of appoggiaturas like the lyrics revolving around the theme of solitude, the voice in off which could be done without, the music which creates a uniform climate alluding to nostalgia and sadness, and certain touches of acting in the four characters: the two bailaores and the two cantaores.

The storyline, moreover, has the task of providing the main bailaor with alibis for his solo pieces, though it’s unquestionable that all of his appearances overshadow the context. Without the introduction of the old artist in the shabby dressing room, there wouldn’t be that baile por soleá in which Grilo puts himself inside the body of an old man, or that martinete in which his shoes possess him and dance as they please. The Jerez-born artist’s acting skills reach unlimited levels. Also that encounter with his own death, personified by cantaor José Valencia, endowed with more and more poise and substance, wouldn’t have been possible without the excuse of drama. How the two of them mock his fate por bulerías in complete silence. An ode to art.

The other two main pieces might be the same with or without the presence of drama. He fits in the taranto with elegance and musicality, ignoring structural canons, but the thing is that he takes the alegrías to heaven itself. Joaquín Grilo puts the Midas touch on this baile brimming over with flamencura. The bailaor appears exquisite in music, able to handle the rhythm at will, dance a chord, turn his hands, split up the compás without altering it, be elegant and crafty and deep, stand firm for an instant Antonio Gades-style, and remain as if limp without transitions, letting himself be dragged by strings pulled by someone else. Sublime moments. The continually flowing music helps, composed and performed by soloists of the likes of guitarist Daniel Méndez, contrabassist Pablo Martín, pianist Fidel Cordero and violinist Alexis Lefevre. And also helping, of course, is the aforementioned cante by José Valencia, contrasting with Carmen Grilo’s female voice. Nor to be forgotten is the appearance by dancer Esther Jurado, with a dance nearly for ambience in which she toys with her beautiful arm movement, her female figure and her purified technique. And it’s that contrasting replica which balances the couple she forms with Joaquín Grilo, a huge dancer who last night knew how to put in check the male flamenco dancing known to date.

And tomorrow...

El Pele with Juana Amaya (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Agujetas • El Pele • Juana Amaya. Teatro Lope de Vega, 9 p.m. With energy as their common thread, Agujetas, El Pele and Juana Amaya are going to share the lineup. At the press conference, El Pele explained that “we’re three duende artists and as the magic goes by, we grow”. Juana Amaya announced that “they’re individual performances, but there’ll be a moment when El Pele and I get together to do a stint; we’ll see what comes out of it”. The Morón-born bailaora is scheduled to dance por alegrías and soleá. El Pele said of her that “there isn’t a small or great bailaora there; there’s a person who completely envelops you in a bunch of madness, an indescribable expression”. And she replied that “we all know the place El Pele has, the artist he is, very pure, very flamenco, of the clenching kind along the same lines as Agujetas, who rips the olé from the heart”. On his part, the Córdoba-born cantaor, who will be accompanied by Manuel Silveria on toque, didn’t define his repertoire, though he elaborated that “I’m going to do what I know how to; sing purely plus some stuff reflecting evolution”. But he made it clear that “I have a lot of respect for flamenco and you have to take it with enormous delicacy”. He didn’t hesitate to recognize that “I’m excited to come here and sing at the Lope de Vega, which is like fighting bulls at La Maestranza”.

Online store
- CD: El Pele & Vicente Amigo. Canto
- CD: Agujetas. Cantaor